Draft gear



May 19, 1931.

J. F. O CONNOR DRAFT GEAR Filed July 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inca/2J2,JZMI @rzzzar May 19, 1931. .1. F. O'CONNOR 11,806,264

DRAFT GEAR Filed July 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 19, 1931UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR- TO W. H. MINER, INQ, OF

I CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE DRAFT GEAR Applicationfiled July 27,

This invention relates to improvements draft gears. One object of theinvention is to provide a draft gear for railway cars especiallydesigned for use in connection with tandem side castings of railwaydraft riggings, including shock absorbing units arranged in tandemproviding combined spring and frictional resistance, wherein thecombined 1() spring and frictional resistance, is produced by aplurality of laminated plate springs composing each unit, housed withintelescoped follower casings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shock absorbing unit fortandem draft gears, includingfollower casings having interengaging armsand a plurality of sets of curved spring plates disposed between saidarms within the casings, the spring plates of each set being nested andeach plate being reduced in width at opposite ends to provide foruniform flexing of each plate throughout the length thereof. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring unit composedof a plurality of nested springplates, wherein the cross sectional areaof each plate between the opposite end portions is greater than thecross sectional area at said end portions, whereby 3 uniform flexing ofthe plate throughout its length is assured.

A. still further objectof the invention is to provide a spring platemember for shock absorbing mechanisms of railway draft rig gings, thecross sectional area of which plate decreases outwardly from the centralzone thereof, whereby substantially uniform flexing of the platethroughout its length is had.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a spring plate memberfor use in connection with shock absorbing mechanisms, which is ofsubstantially uniform thickness and is reduced in width at opposite endsto provide for uniform flexing thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring plate member ofoctagonal shape for use as a shock absorbing element.

Still another object of the invention is to providing a shock absorbingunit, including 1928. Serial No. 295,652.

relatively movable follower casings and spring resistance means withinthe casings, including a plurality of sets of spring plates of octagonalshape, the casings conforming in interior cross section to the outlineof the plates, thereby preventing relative displacement of the plates ofeach set.

Another object of the invention is to provide a laminated plate springunit for shock absorbing mechanisms, composed of a plu- 6Q. rality ofplates of octagonal shape and of ogee curved cross section.

Other and further objects of the invention will move clearly appear fromthe description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is ahorizontal sectional view of a portion of the underframe structure of arailway car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith, theshock absorbing unit at the forward end of the mechanism being shown inplan and the shock absorbing unit at the rear of the mechanism beingshown in horizontal section. Figure2 is a front end elevational View ofone of the shock absorbing units illustrated in Figure 1: Figure 3 is atransverse, vertical, sectional view, corresponding substantially to theline 3-3 ofFigure 1. Figure 4 is a sectional view of a diagonal plane,corresponding substantially to the line 44 of Figure 2. Figure 5 is adetailed perspective view of one of the follower members employed inconnection with my. improved mechanism. Figure 6 is a plan view of ashock absorbing unit, ilustrating a different embodiment of theinvention. Figure 7 is a front elevational view of the shock absorbingunit shown in Figure 6. And Figure 8 is a horizontal, longitudinal,sectional View, corresponding substantially to the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

In said drawings, 10-10 indicate the usual channel-shaped center ordraft sills 95 of the railway car underframe, to the inner sides ofwhich are secured tandem side plates or stop castings 1111. The sideplates are provided with front and rear stop shoulders 12-12 and 13-13,intermediate or middle main stop shoulders 14-14:, front limitingshoulders 15-15, and rear limiting shoulders 16-16. The inner end of thedrawbar is designatedby 17 and is secured to a yoke 18 of the tandemtype, the yoke being provided with a central filler block 19 I which issecured in the usual mannerby rivetsto the top and bottom arms. of. the

yoke. Combined guide and supporting plates 20-20 are secured'to thebottom'por castings, the same being tions of the stop supported by bolts21-21 which are fixed tandem draft riggingsiinclu'des, broadly, a'

to the stop castings in a well known manner;

Referring first to. the embodiment; of the invention illustrated inFigures to 5, inclusive, my'improved shock absorbing-unit for pair ofrelatively movable follower: casings 1 A-A, aplurality of groups orsetsof spring stantially at right angles to each 7 other" v of thehorizontal and vertical portions" of plates B-B' disposed Within thecasings, and retainer bolts C-C disposed at the cor-- ners of thecasingsfor holding the same as-, sembled jan d maintainingithe unit ofoverall uniform length. Y

' Each follower member as-most clearly shown in Figures" 1, A and 5',comprises a relatively heavy, rectangular, plate-likeportion 22,having'a pair'of" inwardly projectinge'arms 23-23 at diagonally oppositecornersthereoffAs'shown, each arm 23 comprises a vertically disposedsection-and a horizontally disposed section arranged sub- The outersurface of the horizontally disg posedxsection of each armis Isubstantially 'flush;.with. the corresponding edgefof the plate-likesection of the follower and the vertically disposed section of. the armis spaced slightly inwardly of, the corresponding side edge of theplate-like section. 1 On the innerside, the horizontal portion of eacharm is provided with 'a horizontally disposed abutment surface and thever-' 131C311 portion of each arm is provided with 1 a vertical abutment1 surface. on the inner .side thereof. As clearly shown in.

Figures 2, 3'andf5, the interior flat surfaces each arm" is connected byan angularly dis posed flat surface '24 at the corner sections thereof.V v v When the sections of each unit are assembled, the arms 23" ofone'of the followers-A are arranged so as to engage betweenthecorresponding pair ofarms 23' of the other: followerAL: .As will beevident upon reference to Figures 2'land' 3', the interior walls of thearms 23 of the two followers A define an opening: of 1 substantiallyoctagonal shape, .within I which the-groups of spring -,.plates'formingthe laminated plate springs B arehoused. The laminated plate springs Bcomprise 'six sets of plates, as

clearly shown inFigures land 4, each'set being: composed of a pluralityof nested,

curved plates. Each plate is of substantial- 7 plate, together with thediagonal edges immediately adjacent thereto, inte'rfitiwith thevertical, horizontal and diagonalv surfaces of,

the corresponding arms'ofone ofzthe followers A,-there'by preventingdisplacement of.-

theplates'. Asshown; in Figuresz8 and-4,

the sets of, plates are so arranged that two adjacentsets have" theconcave surfaces 7 thereof. opposed. f The two, sets of platesat"opposite ends of each unit havetheir convex outer surfaces bearingdirectly ontheilnner sides of the plate-like sectionsof: the follower'membersf A..--The twocentral sets of plates also have the concavesurfacesthereof:

opposed and, as showninFigures 3; and 4:, the plates of these two setsvare arranged lengthwise b'etween thearms' of one of the followers :A,,while the sets of plates at the opposite ends of the unitare-arrangedlengthwise between thearms ofkthe other follower A, Inother; words,'the1two setsof centralplates are rotated through an angleof ninety degrees with respect to. the remaining sets ofplate'sg'." 1'

The two followerszA, composing each unit, arei'connected" by theanchoring retainer boltsv O-C, which, as ihereinbefore 'poin't'ed out,are disposed at thecornersl of the'followers 'A. As clearly illustratedin Figure 4c, one'of the followers A, at diagonally .op-

posite corners, .is provided-with openings 25, adapted to accommodatethe headsof the retainer bolts for sliding movement, and the otherfollower- A-is provided with relatively:

shallow. pockets 26-26: at the corresponding diagonal corners foraccommodating 'the heads of. the retainer bolts. The retainer bolts, Gare preferably Y so. 'adjustedx as to maintain the laminated platesprings junder initial compression. As most clearly illustrated inFigures at and 5, the plate-ilike sections of'tlie'followers A- arerecessed on the inner side's thereoffto provide octagonal pockets 27-27in which the outermost plates. 7

of the sets' of spring plates are seated, the

walls defining the pockets coincidinglwith the walls formed on the innersides-of the arms'23 ofthe two followers.

- Each shock absorbing unit, comprising the two followers -A- 'andthe'finterposed I sets 7 of laminated plate springs B, is disposedwithin one of the pockets of the yoke member 18. As shown in Figure 1,the plate-like sections of the followers A are supported directly on thecombined guide and supporting plates 20.

In the normal position of the parts, that is, the full release position,the plate section of one of the followers A of the front unit engagesthe stop shoulders 12 and the plate section of the other follower A ofsaid unit engages the intermediate shoulders 14 at the corresponding endof the stop castings. The followers A of the rear unit cooperaterespectively with the stop shoulders 13 and the stop shoulders 14 at thecorresponding end of the stop castings. As hereinbefore pointed out, thevertical sections of the arms 23 are spaced inwardly from the verticalside edges ofthe plate-like sections of the followers A, therebyaccommodating the arms 23 between the projecting portions intermediatethe stop shoulders 15.

In the operation of my improved shock absorbing mechanism as illustratedin Figures l to 5, inclusive, assuming an inward or bufling action isapplied to the drawbar, the followers A, at the forward ends of the twounits, will be forced rearwardly by engagement with the inner end of thedrawbar and the spacing or filler block 19 of the yoke, respectively,thereby compressing the laminated plate springs betwen the followers Aof each unit, the rear follower of the front unit being held againstmovement by the stop shoulders 14 and the rear follower of the rear unitbeing held against movement by the stop shoulders 13. Inward movement ofthe front followers of each unit is limited by engagement of theplate-like sections thereof with the stop shoulders 15 and 16,respectively.

When a draft action is applied to the drawbar, the action will besubstantially the same as in buff, the rear followers A of the front andrear units being pulled forwardly while the front followers of thecorresponding units are held stationary by engagement with the stop lugsof the stop castings. When the actuating force is reduced, the tendencyof the laminated spring members to expand restores the followers andother parts to their normal full release position.

Referring next to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures6, 7 and 8, each shock absorbing unit comprises a pair of followermembers DD which cooperate with front and rear follower blocks 2828,shown in dotted lines in Figure 6. Each casing D comprises a heavy,plate-like end wall section, having a pair of relatively long, inwardlyextending arms 29-29 at two opposite diagonal corners thereof, and apair of relatively shorter, inwardly extending arms 3030 at the othertwo diagonally opposite corners thereof. As shown in Figure 6, the arms29 and 30 are slightly spaced apart and the arms 29 of one of thefollowers D are disposed in alignment with the arms 30 of the otherfollower and the adjacent ends of these arms are spaced apart asuflicient distance to permit full compression of the unit. Thefollowers D are held assembled and in anchoredrelation by links EE. Asshown, each follower is cut away at the corners thereof, to provideprojections 31-31 over which the links E may be engaged, each followerbeingslotted at each corner, as indicated at 32, to accommodate thecorresponding end portion of one of the anchoring links E.

As shown in Figures 6 and 8, a plurality of sets of plate springs aredisposedbetween the arms 29 and 30 of the followers D. Each setcomprises a plurality of nested plates of ogee section. Each individualplate, as shown in Figure 7, is of substantially octagonal outline andthe inner sides of the arms 29 and 30 of the followers are provided withdiagonally extending flat surfaces which form abutments for diagonallyopposed edges of the octagonal plates, thereby preventing relativedisplacement of the plates of each set. As will be evident uponreference to Figure 7, the octagonal plates employed in connection withthe embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8 havethe length and width thereof equal.

The operation of the shock absorbing mechanism illustrated in Figures 6,7 and 8 is substantially the same as that of the invention described inconnection with Figures 1 to 5, inclusive. An important advantage isobtained by providing the laminated springs, composed of a plurality ofspring plates of octagonal shape, in that the plates are flexed moreuniformly throughout their length during compression of the mecha nism.In plate springs, wherein the plates are made of uniform width throughtheir length, the cross sectional area of each plate is the same at allpoints throughout its length and the amount of metal contained in saidsections is also uniform throughout the length of the plate. When aplate of this type is flexed, the greatest amount of flexing will occurcentrally of the plate, while the end portions will be flexed to aslight degree only.

When the plates are provided with less metal at the end portions than atthe center, as is the case in connection with the octagonal platesemployed in connection with my invention, the end portions flex moreeasily and consequently the flexing of the plate throughout its lengthis substantially uniform, thereby obtaining the best results and thehighest capacity and making use of the minimum amount of metal in eachplate. The entire shock absorbing unit is thus reion ids

i'io

15. combination with relatively movable fol duped; in weight without,reducing the efli 'ciency of the same, By cutting. away the a v crn nervsections of rectangular plate springs, so as toprovide plates ofoctagonal shape, the metal at the 'cornerscut away 'is saved,

" without reducing theefiicie noy of the plate spring; I 7

While I have herein scopeof the claims appended hereto. v

lclaim: W 1. In a shock absorbing mechanism, the

' lowers, each :Eollowerhavingpa pair of inr e a V oppositecornersthereof, Ithe, arms ofo'ne extending arms at diagonally followerengaging between the arms of the other follower,- each of said Opposedarms having a flat interior abutments'urfa'ce and two angularlyextending abutment surfaces atfopposite sides of said fiat surface; ofmeans for yieldingly opposing relative ap proachof said followersinterposed between the same, saidmeans including a plurality of .sets ofspring plates, the plates of each or certain of said sets atfoppositeends thereof being shaped to-fit the abutment surfaces of "the opposedarms of one of said followers to. limit -:movement of the plates towardand 7 said containers having telescoping arms; of

from said arms and laterallyof. said arms. 2. In a shock absorbingmechanism, the combination with a pair of springcontainers relativelymovable toward'e'a'ch' other,

a laminated plate spring means disposed within said containers andembracedby said arms, said spring means including a plural: ity of setsof nested curved, spring plates of -octagonal outline and ogee curvedsection,

said'arms having interior abutment surfaces embracing andfittingopposite end portions. of saidoctagonal plates; v i

jIn; witness that I laim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed myname this 25th. day of July,'1'928. JOHNF. OCONNOR.

s eeaea shown and described :what I consider the preferred manner ofcarrying out the invention, thev same is merely illustrativeandIcontemplate all changes and modifications which come within the 1

